


Cracked Porcelain

by Chronophage



Series: Fragility [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Building trust, Fluff, Found Family, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2019-12-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 00:33:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21638227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chronophage/pseuds/Chronophage
Summary: A crack in porcelain doesn’t necessarily mean the item is broken, only that it needs to be mended. The same could be said about a burst seam in a beloved stuffed toy.
Relationships: Beet | Bede & Poplar | Opal
Series: Fragility [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2184309
Comments: 20
Kudos: 316
Collections: BeadsAndOpals





	Cracked Porcelain

**Author's Note:**

> So, I adore Bede and his smug, little, asshole behavior. But, even more so, I adore the possibilities of him and Opal becoming foster grandma and grandson. I was too overcome with inspiration, so I churned this out real quick.

It took a while for Opal to notice. She believed her protégé had the right to privacy, and thus, didn’t intrude into his room too often. It helped that he was prone to keeping the door shut, whether he was in there or not. He was definitely more open and social than when he first arrived, but that wasn’t saying much. He emerged randomly and without a set pattern, sometimes engaging in conversation, and other times sneaking to the bathroom or kitchen and retreating without saying a word. He was a perplexing enigma and an endless source of entertainment when she chose to poke and prod him.

Despite the amusement she derived from gentle teasing, she still didn’t invade his privacy. That wasn’t to say she wasn’t curious about what he had done with the room, but she didn’t peek in even when she knew he wasn’t in there. The room had been a spare with basic amenities. Not necessarily a guest room; it could be if she needed one, but it wasn’t in design. When she had plucked him off the streets of Hammerlocke, she gifted him the room to do with as he pleased. He locked himself in there for about two days before emerging and asking if he could purchase some shelves, a desk, a new dresser, and some bedsheets. 

She attempted to make the shopping trip a fun one, suggesting they visit other stores not related to the items he was seeking, but if he was anything, it was stalwart. He wanted to find what he was looking for without any detours and go back home. She begrudgingly didn’t deviate from the stores he had picked to visit. After purchasing the items, having them delivered, and supervising as the delivery men moved them into the room, the door was shut and that was the last she had seen inside. She would, occasionally, notice him returning to the house on his days off with purchased books or shopping bags, but never pried.

The moment she finally started to notice had been completely by chance. It was a beautiful morning; they weren’t scheduled for training that day, so Bede was sleeping in while she was awake and embracing the day. She was in the middle of making a cup of tea when she heard the telltale signals that he had woken. She saw him head to the bathroom, clearly in a half-sleep daze since he wasn’t being subtle, nor did he seem to notice her. 

He was carrying a Growlithe plush, gripping the leg loosely enough she feared he was going to drop it. She raised a brow in confusion as he disappeared into the bathroom. The stuffy had not been in the original purchase for his bedroom supplies, so she assumed he had bought it on his own. Any other thoughts were interrupted when he finished in the bathroom and abruptly sprinted back to his room.

After that strange occurrence, she began trying to pay more close attention to her protégé and his hidden room. She would often stand outside the door when she summoned him for training, but he would open it just enough to slip through and shut it. On his days off, she would try and sneak a peak at him when he appeared later in the morning, but he had apparently learned from his first slip-up and always seemed more awake and aware.

And empty-handed.

She began to wonder why she cared so much about seeing the room now, especially since it hadn’t mattered to her until she saw the Growlithe plush. Maybe she was curious about the other purchases he had made and chose to hide. It would be so easy to walk in when he wasn’t there, but that felt invasive. She also worried that if he found out, she would lose the budding sense of trust that was slowly developing between them.

The second slip-up came during one of the quarterly conferences for Gym Leaders. Bede wasn’t the Ballonlea Gym Leader yet, so she needed to attend the meetings herself. She was intending to take him along, but he started feeling under the weather. So, she left him in Ballonlea and travelled to Wyndon to meet up with her fellow Leaders to discuss plans for next year’s Gym Challenge.

She returned the next day around noon to find a Sylveon plush sitting on the table with his plate and utensils. Mystified, she halted in the doorway to the dining room and stared at the toy. According to the noises in the kitchen, Bede was around and probably finishing up lunch, most likely unaware she had returned. He casually came walking back into the dining room with a glass of milk and nearly started choking on the drink when he saw her.

“Are you feeling any better?” she asked, choosing to ignore the plush.

“A little,” he rasped after he stopped coughing. He still had a noticeable flush of fever on his cheeks and dark bags under his eyes.

“Perhaps you should go back to bed,” she suggested.

“I will do that,” he responded in a stiff manner, “once I finish the dishes.”

He collected his dishes and tried to subtly pick up the toy. If she hadn’t been paying attention, maybe she wouldn’t have noticed, but there was no mistaking the way his eyes darted and the panicked look on his face as he retreated to the kitchen. He haphazardly washed his dishes (requiring her to wash them a second time) and fled to his room.

She didn’t see him again until dinnertime and he didn’t have anything with him.

Now the curiosity was overwhelming. Where were all these stuffies coming from and why was he being so secretive about them? Was he ashamed? She didn’t care if he bought himself toys; in fact, she found it a little endearing. She, herself, owned an old porcelain Clefairy doll from her youth, although the toy was retired to a glass case to maintain what little structural strength it had. The minute cracks in the porcelain had been mended, but she feared any contact would jeopardize them.

So far, she had only seen two stuffies: Growlithe and Sylveon. But there was a nagging thought in the back of her mind that told her there were more. If it were just the two, he could easily hide them in his room and not feel the need to constantly keep his door shut. That indicated there were many more that he couldn’t hide, and so he prevented her from seeing them through different methods. If that were the case, now she wondered where he got them all from.

Ballonlea wasn’t the largest settlement in Galar and didn’t have as much to offer as big cities. She knew of one independent toy store in town, so it was possible he was getting them there. However, with the option of the Flying Taxi, he could travel to a larger town or city to do some shopping.

She would be attending meetings in Wyndon for the next two weeks. Bede recovered from his illness before those two weeks were up and she was able to take him along for the tail end of the committee meetings. He wouldn’t learn much, having not seen the consultations from beginning to end, but seeing a little was better than nothing at all. He didn’t seem all that excited to be going, probably because he knew he wouldn’t learn much, that was, until she mentioned giving him free range of the city afterwards up until they needed to return to Ballonlea.

Suddenly, he was eager to visit the city.

She had to admit she had an ulterior motive: she was going to follow him. The only shopping trip they had gone on together, he had stubbornly insisted they not deviate from what they needed to purchase. She knew he was shopping on his own, so she wanted to know what interested him.

Bede managed to bite his tongue throughout the meeting, but it was clear he was bored and barely paying attention. Normally, she would scold him since these meetings were important for Gym Leaders, but she was just as eager to get out. He nearly toppled his chair over in his haste to escape when it was finally over, and she shouted a reminder of where and what time they needed to meet to return home.

Opal may be old, but she was a Fairy Trainer through and through. Fairy users had to be just as mysterious and tricky as their elemental type. She could hide and blend with her surroundings as well as any trained ninja. Bede might be talented and was embracing the Fairy-type, but he still wasn’t as cognizant with the trickster nature that came with it. He didn’t notice her following him as he traversed the streets, his countenance indicating he was on a mission.

His path took him to a shopping center, which she had foreseen; it wasn’t like he was going to go sight-seeing. The shops here were diverse and she faltered on her mission slightly when she was overcome with the desire to browse some scented candles. Bede’s head craned back and forth as he read the signs and looked in the windows of the shops. He finally came to a stop exactly where she assumed he would.

The toy store.

He stood in front of the store for a moment, as if contemplating this was what he wanted, before striding inside. Opal smiled to herself at his determination before following. Bede took a moment to collect his bearings as he looked around. Thankfully, the store was arranged so that similar items were grouped together. Stuffed animals had their own section to themselves, although they were further sectioned according to age-appropriate standards.

He stalked between the aisles of shelves filled with stuffed toys, completely ignoring employees and other customers. He finally stopped in the center of an aisle, facing one of the shelves. Opal watched from afar as he scanned the shelves without any visible rhyme or reason. Whatever selection process he had, she couldn’t decipher it. Bede reached out, hesitated briefly, then picked a stuffy of a female Meowstic. He held it close to his chest but didn’t cuddle it, his finger gently tracing the stitching and feeling the softness of the fabric.

Opal watched him in rapt fascination. Never had she seen him looked so engrossed by an object before and study it with such interest. Whatever he was looking for, he obviously saw it in the Meowstic. A small smile, a _genuine_ smile, graced his lips as he briefly hugged the plush to his chest and departed for the register. Opal took the long way toward the entrance to have a better chance at avoiding him, leisurely strolling as she contemplated what she had learned and what the implications were.

Honestly, she didn’t know what to think. Bede was the most confusing yet interesting person she had ever met. He was prideful and arrogant, and wrapped up in so many walls and layers to protect himself she feared she wouldn’t reach through at all. But she was… slowly. 

She must have gotten lost in thought because, next thing she knew, Bede was staring at her with a look of abject horror. She knew she had messed up by not moving a safe distance away and concealing her appearance, but there was no going back now. She smiled pleasantly at him, hoping to lessen the tenseness in the air.

“Hello child, did you enjoy shopping?”

His eyes widened even further and she saw his fist clench in rage. He grit his teeth and stormed off, not quite running but almost. However, Opal could be swift when she wanted, as evident from her quick burst of speed to evaluate Bede as her potential successor in Hammerlocke. She caught up to him just as he was exiting the shopping center, firmly grabbing him by the wrist. He fought for a moment before giving up right away, but resolutely refused to meet her eye.

“Child,” Opal spoke, “that was quite rude.”

Even though his face was turned away, she could see him clench his teeth again, a light blush of embarrassment painting his cheeks.

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” Opal assured him. “No need to be upset.”

“I’m not upset!” he snarled defiantly.

“Pardon me, but it certainly seems you are.” Opal let go of his wrist, pausing for a minute to see if he would attempt to escape again before continuing. “You haven’t done anything wrong. I’m not angry or disappointed or anything negative. There’s nothing wrong with having stuffed animals; in fact, I find it amusing.”

“I’m not here for your amusement!” he snapped, spinning to face her in full fury.

“Hush,” she replied in a warning tone, clicking her tongue like he was naughty toddler throwing a tantrum. The blush on his face grew darker and he had tears pricking the corners of his eyes, but he quieted. His breathing was ragged and uneven as he struggled to control his emotions.

“You had… no right… to follow me,” he struggled to speak.

“This is true, you are absolutely correct,” she conceded. “However, and I am not, in any way, trying to justify my actions, merely explain them, I was worried about your behavior.”

“There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be alone,” he muttered, more to himself than directed at her.

“Not that,” she shook her head. “I have no issue with you wanting alone-time. I was more worried about how secretive you were being. That was indicative of how little trust you have in me. I was worried about what could possibly be so stressful you felt the need to hide it from me. But _this_ ,” she gestured to the shopping bag gripped tightly in his hand, “there’s nothing wrong with this.”

He still refused to meet her gaze, preferring to stare at the ground. People were walking past them, some stopping to watch their confrontation but most continuing on their way. Perhaps Bede’s embarrassment was fueled by how this event was happening in such a public place. Opal now regretted letting this happen outside of the privacy of their home, but knew she had to reassure him right here and right now.

She reached out and gently pulled the shopping bag from his hand. His arm jerked briefly, like he was about to yank it back but let it go. She took the stuffy out of the bag and studied it like Bede had done in the store. It was certainly cute and carried the same dignity and stoic expression female Meowstic were notorious for.

“Why this one?” she asked. “Why not the male? They were right next to each other.”

Bede’s cheek twitched as his frown somehow stretched deeper. “… Don’t know. Just liked it more.”

Opal squeezed the ears of the plush and made it waggle its arms. “Not everything needs a definite answer. Child, can you look at me?”

Bede defiantly refused, his arms tensed at his sides and his head hanging down. Opal attempted to touch his shoulder and he slapped her hand away. She was shocked by that; sure, he had never made it a secret how much she irritated him, particularly during the beginning stages of the “Fairy boot camp” training, but he had never been physically violent. She was prepared to berate him but caught herself.

“Bede,” she spoke calmly. She rarely used his name and she wasn’t sure why. There was something endearing about calling him “child.” Bede’s head shot up and he finally met her gaze, his angry expression having changed to one of surprise. 

“You haven’t done anything wrong,” Opal stated firmly. “I’m not angry. You have no reason to be embarrassed.”

He didn’t look like he believed her but did allow his shoulders to relax the slightest bit. 

“Let’s go,” she prompted. She turned to leave but stopped when she noticed he wasn’t following. Bede’s breathing was still loud and while his head was still up, his eyes were looking anywhere but directly at her. She knew she couldn’t force him to return with her to the Flying Taxi or else face even more defiance, but she had to coax him somehow.

She held out the Meowstic plush and jostled it, like she was trying to lure a hungry Munchlax with a treat. For a brief moment, the torrent of emotions on Bede’s face faded to one of annoyance and she was satisfied. _That_ was an expression she was used to seeing. He finally appeared to be collecting his bearings as he straightened his shoulders and marched up to her, snatching the Meowstic from her grasp and returning it to the shopping bag. He continued walking, refusing to do so beside her and instead stayed a few strides ahead.

The ride back to Ballonlea was quiet and awkward. Opal didn’t attempt to initiate conversation with her protégé, who most likely wouldn’t reply anyway. His body was stiff by his leg bounced with impatience. She figured he was eager to get home so he could lock himself in his room and stay there for, minimum, three days, and then not speak to her for longer than that. That was understandable and she blamed herself for how the day’s events had played out. There was no telling the damage she had caused to their fragile relationship.

Bede nearly launched himself out of the taxi, snatching his bags and marching toward the house. Opal sighed and took her time collecting her things and entering the house, knowing she would face silence as soon as she entered. However, she was pleasantly surprised. 

Bede was standing in front of his closed bedroom door, still tightly gripping his bags. He set them down and opened his door, but instead of slipping through as he had been doing, he let it creak open, not attempting to hide it from her any longer. He knew she was there since he glanced over his shoulder but didn’t seem to care anymore.

His bed, desk, and open shelves that didn’t have books were covered in stuffies of various Pokémon. There were even a couple artfully arranged on his windowsill so they could look outside. Since he didn’t turn her away, Opal entered the room without resistance. She saw the Growlithe in the window and the Sylveon on the bed, the two who had caused her curiosity to flourish. Bede wordlessly entered the room behind her and strategically placed the Meowstic in an empty spot on his bookshelf. 

“Do you…” he started to speak then faltered, turning away from her in embarrassment and frustration once more. Opal stayed silent, allowing him to collect his thoughts.

“You really don’t care?” he finally asked. He made eye contact, his expression one of blatant vulnerability. “About… the plushies?”

“Of course not,” she insisted. “There’s nothing wrong with having stuffies.”

Bede averted his gaze and instead looked around at the stuffed Pokémon dolls decorating nearly every surface of his room.

“This is quite a collection,” Opal remarked. 

“I… I couldn’t have… these. At the orphanage,” Bede mumbled. “We had to share and… no one wanted to share with me. Nothing was _mine_. Just belonging to me… no one else.”

On the surface, that might have sounded selfish, like a petulant child bemoaning having to share their toys, but Opal understood. Bede wasn’t lamenting over having to share belongings with the other children, he was upset because nothing he possessed at the orphanage truly belonged to him. A keepsake or memento didn’t exist in that world of the past. But here, Opal gave him his own room, allowed him to have privacy, to have _possessions_.

“But don’t you think it’s… strange… for a boy to have so many stuffies?” he asked.

“I think it’s cute,” she answered, prompting him choke and sputter. She chuckled and exited his room, venturing to hers and retrieving her old Clefairy doll. She returned and held the keepsake out to him. He looked amazed by the gesture and gingerly took the doll.

“This looks expensive,” he remarked, gently touching the porcelain parts of the Clefairy, his fingers tracing the cracks.

“My mother gifted me this doll when I succeeded her as Gym Leader,” Opal revealed. “I suppose doing the same for you wouldn’t have the same impact,” she continued, glancing at his collection.

“Yes it would!” he insisted, spooking both her and himself with his exuberance. He blushed in embarrassment again and cleared his throat. “These bring me comfort, but a doll from you would be… special.”

“Comfort? Do you feel uncomfortable here?”

“No, I feel content being here.”

“Is this… a compulsion you can’t control?” If that were the case, then there could be a more deep-seated psychological reason behind his desire to collect the stuffies.

“No,” he replied firmly. “I have a strict regiment I follow for when I’m allowed to purchase a new one. My own personal rules. I can’t explain the feeling they give me.”

“You don’t have to explain,” she soothed him. “I know I didn’t handle this situation in the best way, but I hope I haven’t caused too much distrust in you.”

“No, it’s fine,” he replied distractedly. He was holding her Clefairy to his chest and was petting the threadbare curl on its head before realizing what he was doing and hastily returning the doll to her. “I think I overreacted anyway. You had no way of knowing what I was doing.”

“The fact that you’re willing to admit that is reassuring,” said Opal. 

“Okay,” he muttered, clearly done with this interaction and wishing for some solitude. Opal, satisfied with how they were leaving things, courteously granted the request and left the room. To her delight, Bede didn’t shut the door after she left.

They may not be related by blood, but there was no doubt Bede was her child. She had searched for a successor for many years, always holding out for the perfect protégé even as the signs of her age became too apparent to ignore. But, her efforts had paid off. He didn’t come without his own baggage in the form of cracks in porcelain or rips in the seams, but there was nothing a little care couldn’t fix. The events of that day were almost cataclysmic, but sometimes life needed an extra push to move things along. The next morning, he came to the table carrying a Poochyena plush and set it beside his plate as he ate breakfast.

Bede never felt the need to hide his room from her anymore.


End file.
